Naval supremacy at THAT time dictated control of trade, shipping lanes, exports, etc. However it did not take much longer than 1900 for Naval supremacy to become nearly obsolete.

It is now mostly about Air supremacy. Except for use of aircraft carriers, which again resorts back to control of the air...and the maverick weapon, subs. Battleships are obsolete, destroyers for AA or ASW defense, crusiers mostly for missle platforms.

Though for 1600 - 1900...that is a good answer. England dominated as masters of the sea all the way thru WWII.

Body armour: predates 1600. Probably 2000 BC.

"If you must break the law, do it to seize power: in all other cases observe it."
- Julius Caesar

A little tid-bit I got off cable today but watching a show on modern day assault rifles, the Ak-47 was actually a collaboration between anatoly Kalishnikov and Schmeisser, so there is in fact a reason why the ak-47 and the stg-44 look alike. something we all new anyway but was always disproved in the past.

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